“I think we’re here,” I say, looking up from the map. Around us, trees stood dense and unyielding, their trunks standing like silent sentinels, their thick canopies blocking out most of the light, casting an eerie, half-lit gloom on our surroundings. The forest floor was thick with moss and tangled roots, muffling every step and leaving the air thick with the scent of earth and decay. A remarkable wall of jagged rock, half-hidden beneath a tangle of ivy and ferns, a seamless part of the land in front of us.

“Here?” Nicholas asks, incredulously looking around us. “There’s nothing here.”

“What part of the Dungeon was sealed? Didn’t you get it,” I snap. He'd been fine when we started this little trek into the woods a few days ago. However, since we had to leave the well-trodden trail heading to Evergloom a few hours ago, he’d done nothing but complain. What did he expect? The trail would magically still be here after millennia of no one using it. I thought snidly.

“Well, when you said it was sealed, I figured you like a cave-in or something was blocking the entrance.” He responded.

I stare at him before saying, “Seriously, and what? You just figured the team sent to find those missing adventures lied when they said they couldn’t find the entrance.”

Nicholas opened his mouth to say something, but Sarah got in before he could. “That's enough. Anyway, if there is no entrance, how will we get in? You haven't actually said Melissa.”

“Quite simple, really, barely an inconvenience,” I said with a smirk, but it was clear none of the rest of the group found it funny. “while looking through the guild archive of both Southport and Forestend, I came across a reference to another sealed dungeon that was opened. A passphrase must be used to open the seal.”

“And let me guess, you happen to know this passphrase,” Nicholas said. It was a simple question, but his tone singled out his doubt.

“Of course,” I say, “It would be pretty stupid of me not to know something as simple as that before coming out here, don’t you think.”

“Well then,” Nicholas said with a get-on-with-it gesture.

Moving up to the wall of jagged rock, I pull up my interface, ready to send the unlock code. As I say out loud, “Authorization Code: Alpha-November-Romio-Six-Niner-Three-Popa.” Nothing happens for a moment, and then the wall of rock in front of us seems to dissolve, leaving a dark, yawning maw. I turn back to the group, and there’s a subtle shift more felt than seen as each prepares for the delve ahead.

Sarah stepped forward. "This dungeon's been sealed for millennia. Whatever’s in here, we handle it together. No lone heroics."

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Dominique chuckled, twirling a dagger between her fingers. "Not my style to go solo, boss. But I call dibs on anything shiny if we're splitting loot."

Andrew, the mage, sighed. "Focus, Dominique. Ancient dungeons mean ancient traps. Let’s not get buried alive."

Jacob adjusted the strap of his satchel, which was filled with potions and talismans.

"Maybe Melissa should take point," Nicholas muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear. "She’s always eager to charge in."

My jaw tightened, but instead of responding, I adjusted my gauntlets. Sarah shot Nicholas a warning glance but said nothing.

Entering the darkness, the tunnel was all smooth stone. A few steps in, torches began lighting the way. The first floor was eerily quiet except for distant skittering that echoed through the halls. As the group rounded the first corner, the first enemies appeared—skeletal warriors whose eyes were glowing faintly blue. "Form up!" Sarah commanded. Nicholas charged, his great sword cleaving through the brittle bones with ease. I flanked him, my blade dancing in precise arcs. Dominique darted between the skeletons, striking vital points, while Andrew unleashed firebolts that turned his opponents to ash. Jacob stayed at the rear, casting healing spells to keep the group steady.

When faced with a particularly well-armed skeleton, I sharpened the edge of my blade to better pierce it before quickly changing it back before the rest of the group could notice.

"Nice work," Sarah said after the last skeleton fell.

"Yeah, Melissa," Nicholas said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Your fancy footwork almost made up for how many hits you let through."

I bit back a retort. Sarah’s expression darkened, but she moved the group forward rather than escalate the tension.

By the time we cleared the floor, everyone was winded but unharmed, though the tension among us was palpable. "That was just the beginning," Sarah said, wiping sweat from her brow. Her voice was calm, but the slight tremor in her hand betrayed the strain of the fight.

"We handled it," Nicholas said with a shrug, hefting his great sword onto his shoulder. "Even if some of us took the scenic route during the battle."

Dominique cut in before I gave Nicholas a piece of my mind, her tone light yet pointed. "Maybe if you’d focus less on commentary and more on swinging that sword, we’d finish faster."

Andrew snorted, leaning on his staff. "Let’s not forget this place is ancient. Skeletons are just the appetizer. There’s bound to be worse further in."

Jacob nodded, wiping his hands on his robes after casting a final round of minor healing spells. "He’s right. We can’t afford to be overconfident. The traps and enemies here are designed to wear us down."

“Plus, with the intelligence behind the dungeon out of commission,” I add, “we don’t even know what type of traps or other hazards the monsters in here have in store for us. Nor can we expect each level to stick to the power gradient that we’re used to in other dungeons.”

Sarah scanned the group, her gaze lingering on Nicholas as I. "Stay sharp and save the bickering for later. Nicholas, Melissa, both of you did well in the fight. Let’s keep it that way. We can’t afford to be divided."

I give a curt nod. Nicholas merely grunted in response. Dominique exchanged a glance with Sarah but said nothing, sensing the leader’s patience was already thin.

As we prepared to move forward, Dominique added with a smirk, "Well, if it’s worse further in, at least it’ll make for a good story. Assuming we don’t end up as one."

A soft chuckle circles the group, the tension easing just a bit as we gather our belongings and lot the fallen monsters.